John Wick Creator Wants to Adapt Two Very Weird Video Games for TV
John Wick franchise creator Derek Kolstad says he’s interested in adapting two peculiar video game IPs for television: The popular survival-horror/Disney parody Bendy and the Ink Machine and the shoot-em-up about a talking banana, My Friend Pedro.
Kolstad made the remark in an interview with Comicbook.com, revealing that he’s working on pitches for both shows in between his many other current projects.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/20/my-friend-pedro-review"]"Well, I am doing A Company Man for David Leitch. I'm doing A Map From Nowhere for Chad Stahelski over at New Line. Both of them are remakes of movies that I fucking love. I've got A Darker Shade Of Magic, over at Sony, which has been a joy, with Victoria Schwab," Kolstad told Comicbook. "I'm going out with a pitch for a television series based on the My Friend Pedro video game, as well as for Bendy and the Ink Machine. I am playing any... It's funny, the reason I'm answering it this way, literally, I have these Post-It notes on my computer of, 'This is what I'm working on today.'"
"To be honest, I love it all," Kolstad continued. "Those are at the forefront, but at any given moment, people are jumping on the horn and we're talking The Janson Directive or we're talking Death Machine, we're talking actors with IP, sound men. I got to tell you, man, I'm still a little kid at this and I f****** love it. If I can emulate and replicate any success I've had with John Wick elsewhere, I'm going to be that 11-year-old that snuck into an R-rated movie, giggling." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/11/21/bendy-and-the-ink-machine-launch-trailer-pegi"]Bendy and the Ink Machine debuted in 2017, releasing episodically until a complete and updated version was released. The game told the story of a retired animator named Henry Stein, who visits his old studio after receiving a mysterious invitation from his former boss Joey Drew. Upon arriving at the studio (designed to look eerily similar to Steamboat Willy-era Mickey Mouse cartoons), Henry discovers that some malevolent force has warped the facility and spawned monstrous versions of classic cartoon creations. The game proved massively popular fodder for Youtubers, with its unique visual style and survival horror scares, and spawned a merchandise line, a mobile spin-off, a short prequel installment, and an upcoming sequel.
My Friend Pedro is, somehow, even sillier than a horror game about a Mickey Mouse parody. It follows an unnamed protagonist as he violently murders enemies at the behest of a sentient talking banana named Pedro. It, uh...goes places. The gameplay itself would put even John Wick to shame, with the player character performing dazzling feats of ballet to pull off increasingly crazy trick shots throughout each level. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Given that Kolstad is just in the pitching process, it’s unclear if we’ll ever see either adaptation hit the big or little screen. Kolstad certainly already has plenty of upcoming projects on his plate, including the now delayed release of John Wick Chapter 4, which was pushed back to May 27, 2022.John Wick Creator Wants to Adapt Two Very Weird Video Games for TV
John Wick franchise creator Derek Kolstad says he’s interested in adapting two peculiar video game IPs for television: The popular survival-horror/Disney parody Bendy and the Ink Machine and the shoot-em-up about a talking banana, My Friend Pedro.
Kolstad made the remark in an interview with Comicbook.com, revealing that he’s working on pitches for both shows in between his many other current projects.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/20/my-friend-pedro-review"]"Well, I am doing A Company Man for David Leitch. I'm doing A Map From Nowhere for Chad Stahelski over at New Line. Both of them are remakes of movies that I fucking love. I've got A Darker Shade Of Magic, over at Sony, which has been a joy, with Victoria Schwab," Kolstad told Comicbook. "I'm going out with a pitch for a television series based on the My Friend Pedro video game, as well as for Bendy and the Ink Machine. I am playing any... It's funny, the reason I'm answering it this way, literally, I have these Post-It notes on my computer of, 'This is what I'm working on today.'"
"To be honest, I love it all," Kolstad continued. "Those are at the forefront, but at any given moment, people are jumping on the horn and we're talking The Janson Directive or we're talking Death Machine, we're talking actors with IP, sound men. I got to tell you, man, I'm still a little kid at this and I f****** love it. If I can emulate and replicate any success I've had with John Wick elsewhere, I'm going to be that 11-year-old that snuck into an R-rated movie, giggling." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/11/21/bendy-and-the-ink-machine-launch-trailer-pegi"]Bendy and the Ink Machine debuted in 2017, releasing episodically until a complete and updated version was released. The game told the story of a retired animator named Henry Stein, who visits his old studio after receiving a mysterious invitation from his former boss Joey Drew. Upon arriving at the studio (designed to look eerily similar to Steamboat Willy-era Mickey Mouse cartoons), Henry discovers that some malevolent force has warped the facility and spawned monstrous versions of classic cartoon creations. The game proved massively popular fodder for Youtubers, with its unique visual style and survival horror scares, and spawned a merchandise line, a mobile spin-off, a short prequel installment, and an upcoming sequel.
My Friend Pedro is, somehow, even sillier than a horror game about a Mickey Mouse parody. It follows an unnamed protagonist as he violently murders enemies at the behest of a sentient talking banana named Pedro. It, uh...goes places. The gameplay itself would put even John Wick to shame, with the player character performing dazzling feats of ballet to pull off increasingly crazy trick shots throughout each level. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Given that Kolstad is just in the pitching process, it’s unclear if we’ll ever see either adaptation hit the big or little screen. Kolstad certainly already has plenty of upcoming projects on his plate, including the now delayed release of John Wick Chapter 4, which was pushed back to May 27, 2022.Minecraft Dungeons Features Hilarious Diablo 2 Reference for Dedicated Fans
Minecraft Dungeons, out on May 26, is often compared to the Diablo franchise for featuring top-down dungeon-crawling combat and exploration. Heck, we made the comparison in our mostly favorable review. It looks like the developers behind Minecraft Dungeons are all too familiar with the franchise, since they evidently planted a hilarious easter egg that dedicated Diablo 2 fans will probably appreciate.
Minor spoilers for Minecraft Dungeons content below: Noticed by Lords of Gaming, Minecraft Dungeons players can access a secret area that’s a direct reference to a similarly secret area in Diablo 2. According to Lords of Gaming, it requires players to beat the game once on each game difficulty. Near the player’s camp, there’s a drawbridge that’s raised during the main game. Once you’re able to cross it, players will find a church with pixel portraits of the Minecraft Dungeons developer team and a dog, plus a button with ten runes. Once players find those runes across the game’s levels, they can return to the button, press it, and you’ll be transported to a secret level. What’s in that secret level? Cows. Lots and lots of angry cows to fight. [caption id="attachment_12576" align="aligncenter" width="890"]
Source: Lords of Gaming[/caption]
The secret Minecraft Dungeons room is a pretty clear reference to a secret area in Diablo 2 that featured countless cows standing upright and wielding axes. Those Diablo cows would also say “moo” constantly with an oddly human inflection while they chased you around in massive groups. For a time, Diablo 2’s secret cow level was a popular place to level up until a patch was implemented not long after.
Not bad for a funny reference, although I shudder to think what a newcomer to the genre will think of that many bovine barreling down on them.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and he's mooooooving to the bay area soon.
Minecraft Dungeons Features Hilarious Diablo 2 Reference for Dedicated Fans
Minecraft Dungeons, out on May 26, is often compared to the Diablo franchise for featuring top-down dungeon-crawling combat and exploration. Heck, we made the comparison in our mostly favorable review. It looks like the developers behind Minecraft Dungeons are all too familiar with the franchise, since they evidently planted a hilarious easter egg that dedicated Diablo 2 fans will probably appreciate.
Minor spoilers for Minecraft Dungeons content below: Noticed by Lords of Gaming, Minecraft Dungeons players can access a secret area that’s a direct reference to a similarly secret area in Diablo 2. According to Lords of Gaming, it requires players to beat the game once on each game difficulty. Near the player’s camp, there’s a drawbridge that’s raised during the main game. Once you’re able to cross it, players will find a church with pixel portraits of the Minecraft Dungeons developer team and a dog, plus a button with ten runes. Once players find those runes across the game’s levels, they can return to the button, press it, and you’ll be transported to a secret level. What’s in that secret level? Cows. Lots and lots of angry cows to fight. [caption id="attachment_12576" align="aligncenter" width="890"] Source: Lords of Gaming[/caption]
The secret Minecraft Dungeons room is a pretty clear reference to a secret area in Diablo 2 that featured countless cows standing upright and wielding axes. Those Diablo cows would also say “moo” constantly with an oddly human inflection while they chased you around in massive groups. For a time, Diablo 2’s secret cow level was a popular place to level up until a patch was implemented not long after.
Not bad for a funny reference, although I shudder to think what a newcomer to the genre will think of that many bovine barreling down on them.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and he's mooooooving to the bay area soon.
Actor Confirms He Played Darkseid in Zack Snyder’s Justice League
In Snyder's cut, which is set to stream on HBO Max in 2021 (after close to $30 million is spent completing it), Darkseid is said to have appeared at the beginning and end of the film - during the expository "History" part and then in the final scenes following villain Steppenwolf's demise. Porter teased his Darkseid role last summer ahead of Comic-Con by giving fans a sneak peek (listen?) at his Darkseid voice during a quick "Release the Snyder Cut" promotional video...That said, and because I’ve been given permission... Hi, I’m Ray. I played Darkseid in Zack Snyder’s “Justice League”. There. It’s out now.
— Ray Porter (@Ray__Porter) May 22, 2020
If you're looking for a deep dive into what the Snyder Cut is, or how the "Release the Snyder Cut" movement began, check out our full Snyder Cut explainer. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/20/snyder-cut-of-justice-league-is-actually-coming-to-hbo-max-ign-now"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.Justice League's cut Darkseid actor @Ray__Porter teases his Darkseid voice in new #ReleaseTheSnyderCut Comic-Con campaign video. https://t.co/mKNSeJSaYR pic.twitter.com/COWuA6WkGT
— Screen Rant (@screenrant) June 19, 2019
Actor Confirms He Played Darkseid in Zack Snyder’s Justice League
In Snyder's cut, which is set to stream on HBO Max in 2021 (after close to $30 million is spent completing it), Darkseid is said to have appeared at the beginning and end of the film - during the expository "History" part and then in the final scenes following villain Steppenwolf's demise. Porter teased his Darkseid role last summer ahead of Comic-Con by giving fans a sneak peek (listen?) at his Darkseid voice during a quick "Release the Snyder Cut" promotional video...That said, and because I’ve been given permission... Hi, I’m Ray. I played Darkseid in Zack Snyder’s “Justice League”. There. It’s out now.
— Ray Porter (@Ray__Porter) May 22, 2020
If you're looking for a deep dive into what the Snyder Cut is, or how the "Release the Snyder Cut" movement began, check out our full Snyder Cut explainer. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/20/snyder-cut-of-justice-league-is-actually-coming-to-hbo-max-ign-now"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.Justice League's cut Darkseid actor @Ray__Porter teases his Darkseid voice in new #ReleaseTheSnyderCut Comic-Con campaign video. https://t.co/mKNSeJSaYR pic.twitter.com/COWuA6WkGT
— Screen Rant (@screenrant) June 19, 2019
Update: Some Assassin’s Creed’s Side Content was Made Just Five Days Before Launch
Update: May 23, 1:50 p.m.
An earlier version of this story reported that former Ubisoft developer Charles Randall stated that side missions in Assassin's Creed were created in the final five days before the game's shipment deadline, and that the changes were a result of comments made by a CEO's child. Additional reporting has since clarified that that was an incorrect interpretation of Randall's remarks. We have updated the story to reflect that Randall specifically meant certain portions of side content (rather than "all side content") and that he is not certain if a CEO's child actually played any role in the process.
Original story as follows:
Looking back at the Assassin’s Creed series, it’s almost funny how one of the biggest franchises in gaming started out by receiving a modest 7.5 out of 10 from IGN. The first Assassin’s Creed game proved to feature interesting exploration of Crusades era cities, different (if wonky) combat, and way too many repetitive side content, which had you either hunting down Templars or collecting countless flags strewn about.
Former Ubisoft fight system AI lead Charles Randall initially explained that Assassin's Creed only had side missions because “the CEO’s kid played it,” and they were implemented only five days before the game was due to ship out to stores. (Randall later clarified that he is not sure if the CEO's child actually played the game, or if the CEO even had a child, but that the development team did receive very sudden feedback that they needed to act on).
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/24/every-ign-assassins-creed-review-score"]In a Twitter thread early Saturday (first reported on by Eurogamer), Randall explained the odd story.
“So we're all ready to ship the game, first submission goes pretty well, and then...the news...the CEO's kid played the game and said it was boring and there was nothing to do in the game,” Randall said. “Oh yeah I forgot the key part. We have to put all these side missions into the game in five days, and they have to be bug-free, because the build is going to be burned directly to disc and released to retail."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/07/heres-what-ubisofts-5-promised-aaa-games-in-2020-2021-could-be"]Randall says he and a handful of others spent five days in the main conference building of Montreal’s Peck Building, a former textile factory where Ubisoft Montreal was located, all trying to implement the seemingly impossible task of adding the side content.
“Anyway, the rest of it is a blur, but I know that it went super well, because we did it,” Randall said. “We managed to implement all of it in 5 days. And it was bug-free... almost.”
“But I know it's a miracle that the game didn't just melt your console or whatever,” he added.
One major bug did manage to slip through. One Templar assassination side mission featured a target that could fall through the world and effectively die, but the player wouldn’t get the credit for the kill. This meant that if players wanted the perfect 1,000 Gamerscore, they’d have to start the game over. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=assassins-creed-valhalla-first-screenshots&captions=true"]“So it turns out one of the Templar were parented to the wrong sector,” Randall said. “If you approached the Templar from the wrong direction, he fell through the world and was despawned. Which didn't give you credit for the kill, but stored him into the savegame as dead. No more spawning.”
Randall also admits that a bug where two assassins would spawn if you had two controllers plugged in was “probably my fault. You’re welcome.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/07/assassins-creed-valhalla-game-engine-reveal"]These days, the Assassin’s Creed series has so much in-game content that some fans have criticized it for being too bloated, leading to conflicting messaging from Ubisoft on whether or not Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will be bigger or smaller than the absolutely immense Odyssey.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of our Assassin’s Creed Valhalla previews. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/saxon man for IGN.Original Assassin’s Creed Side Missions Made Five Days Before Launch
Looking back at the Assassin’s Creed series, it’s almost funny how one of the biggest franchises in gaming started out by receiving a modest 7.5 out of 10 from IGN. The first Assassin’s Creed game proved to feature interesting exploration of Crusades era cities, different (if wonky) combat, and way too many repetitive side missions, which had you either hunting down Templars or collecting countless flags strewn about.
According to Charles Randall, who served as Ubisoft’s fight system AI lead on Assassin’s Creed, the game only had side missions because “the CEO’s kid played it,” and they were implemented only five days before the game was due to ship out to stores.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/24/every-ign-assassins-creed-review-score"]In a Twitter thread early Saturday (first reported on by Eurogamer), Randall explained the odd story.
By Randall’s account, Assassin’s Creed was pretty much ready to ship without any side missions. This apparently changed when the CEO’s children took the game for a spin.
“So we're all ready to ship the game, first submission goes pretty well, and then...the news...the CEO's kid played the game and said it was boring and there was nothing to do in the game,” Randall said. “Oh yeah I forgot the key part. We have to put all these side missions into the game in five days, and they have to be bug-free, because the build is going to be burned directly to disc and released to retail."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/07/heres-what-ubisofts-5-promised-aaa-games-in-2020-2021-could-be"]Randall says he and a handful of others spent five days in the main conference building of Montreal’s Peck Building, a former textile factory where Ubisoft Montreal was located, all trying to implement the seemingly impossible task of adding the side missions.
“Anyway, the rest of it is a blur, but I know that it went super well, because we did it,” Randall said. “We managed to implement all of it in 5 days. And it was bug-free... almost.”
“But I know it's a miracle that the game didn't just melt your console or whatever,” he added.
One major bug did manage to slip through. One Templar assassination side mission featured a target that could fall through the world and effectively die, but the player wouldn’t get the credit for the kill. This meant that if players wanted the perfect 1,000 Gamerscore, they’d have to start the game over. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=assassins-creed-valhalla-first-screenshots&captions=true"]“So it turns out one of the Templar were parented to the wrong sector,” Randall said. “If you approached the Templar from the wrong direction, he fell through the world and was despawned. Which didn't give you credit for the kill, but stored him into the savegame as dead. No more spawning.”
Randall also admits that a bug where two assassins would spawn if you had two controllers plugged in was “probably my fault. You’re welcome.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/07/assassins-creed-valhalla-game-engine-reveal"]These days, the Assassin’s Creed series has so much in-game content that some fans have criticized it for being too bloated, leading to conflicting messaging from Ubisoft on whether or not Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will be bigger or smaller than the absolutely immense Odyssey.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of our Assassin’s Creed Valhalla previews. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/saxon man for IGN.